T
heemailarrivesfromaht.org.Iopenit,anditsays
“AFFECTED:ThedoghastwocopiesofthePOAG
mutationandisaffectedwithPOAG.”
Whatdowedonow?
Gemmeis11monthsandoneweekoldwhentheemail
arrives.Iaminshock.
Iemailmywifeatwork.
Gemme’sbreederisJanZigich,andIsendamessageto
her.Ithinksheisinshocktoo.Sheapologizesprofusely,
tellsmeshewillsendusarefund,andadvisesustoget
Gemme’spressurestested.Shealsoshareswhatinformation
shehasabouttreatment.
Myfirstreactionisdenial.IwonderiftheAHTtestis
accurate,soIresearchtheaccuracyoftheirDNAtests.Ifind
somecommentsontheInternetsuggestingthatoneoftheir
DNAtestsforanotherbreedhadaccuracyissues,andIgrab
ontothatidea.
WespendhourstryingtoresearchPOAGforPBGVs.Isee
articlesinprintandpostsontheInternetaboutcopingwith
ablinddogandaboutremovingeyestoreducepain,but
thereisnoinformationaboutwhattodowhenahealthy
dogtests“affected.”Obviously,weneedtogettheeyefluid
(“ocular”)pressurestested,butwhatelseshouldwedo?
Thereisalmostnoinformationoutthere.Howoftendowe
test?What’sagoodpressure?Whendowestartdrops?
Icallmyvet,buthe’sonvacation.Ileaveamessagefor
himtocall.Thestaffathisofficetellsmehedoesnothave
theinstrumenttomeasureocularpressures(calleda
“tonometer”)andthatIcangotoanotherlocalvetwhowill
measurethepressuresandsharethemwithmyvet.
ItalkwithJanaboutophthalmologists.Oneoptionisto
makeanappointmentwithhercanineophthalmologist.He
didtheoriginalCERFtestonGemme,butheismorethan
threehoursaway.IcallIowaStateUniversityVetSchool,less
thantwohoursaway.Itoffersaspecialists’clinic.Iaskfor
anappointment,andtheytellmetheophthalmologists
arebookedupformonths.Imentionglaucoma,andthe
receptionisttellsmethatcanbeanemergencyandthey
maymakeroomforus.Shewilltalktooneofthespecialists
andcallmeback.
Thereceptionistcallsbackandreviewsthelistof
symptoms.DoesGemmehavepainorrednessorweeping
inhereyes?No.Gemmedoesn’thaveanysymptoms,so
theyfitusinthescheduleabouttwoweeksdowntheroad.
Ironically,Bijou,our6-year-oldPBGV,haschronicallyred
eyesthatregularlyweep.Itmakesusquestionwhetherthe
22
www.pbgv.org
Winter2015
ISaberTails
I
PBGVHealthWatch
byBruceToenjes
PhotosbyBruceToenjes
Living
With
an
Affected
Dog
Gemme